October 2014

Home&School
Working Together for School Success

CONNECTION
2014 Resources for Educators, a division of CCH Incorporated
Experts agree: Children
tend to rise to their parents
expectations. And the expec-
tations you set for your
youngster about homework
can motivate her to work
hard. Consider this advice.
Create a home office
Setting aside a special
workspace in your house
shows your child that home-
work is a priority. Help her
pick a place thats away from distrac-
tions, such as her bedroom or a corner
of the family room, and stock it with
school supplies. Then when shes work-
ing, let her hear you tell younger sib-
lings, Your sister is doing homework,
so play quietly.
Make time
Will your youngster do homework right
after school or later in the evening? Some
kids work better if they have a snack and
take a break after being in school all day.
Others do best if they start right away
while theyre still in school mode. You
might have your child try both to see
Ask for help early
If your child is having
trouble with a subject, you dont have
to wait until parent-teacher conferences
to bring up your concerns. Call or
email the teacher for ideas. He may
recommend an after-school reading
group or new study strategies to try at
home, for example.
Snail mail
Your mailbox is full of learning oppor-
tunities! Let your youngster check the
mail and sort it into piles (bills, cata-
logs, invitations). For a math chal-
lenge, have her gather coupons and
add up how much youd save if you
used them all. Or she could read a
power company brochure to learn how
your family can use less electricity.
One of the most com-
mon places for kids to
find drugs is in a house-
hold medicine cabinet. Keep prescrip-
tion and over-the-counter medications
locked up, and talk to your child about
what to do if a friend offers him medi-
cine. Explain that its dangerous to take
a drug that his doctor didnt prescribe
and that he doesnt need.
Worth quoting
If you have good thoughts, they will
shine out of your face like sunbeams.
Roald Dahl
Q: How do you tell which end of the
worm is the head?
A: Tickle the
middle and see
which end
laughs.
A plan for homework
SH
O
R
T
N
O
TES
DID
YOU
KNOW?
JUST FOR FUN
Lets collaborate
which works best. Once she decides, she
should pencil in homework on a calen-
dar or planner so she expects to do it at a
certain time each day.
Encourage independence
When your child does homework, stay
nearby and do your own thing (read a
book, prepare dinner). That way, youre
available if she needs you, but youre
showing that you expect her to do her
homework herself. Tip: If she asks for
help, find out what she has already tried,
and offer suggestions for figuring it out
on her own. (Maybe you could look at
yesterdays assignment.)
Working well with others is a skill your young-
ster needs for school and his future career. Try
these ideas at home:
Team up to make family decisions like where
to go on a day trip. Share your ideas, and try
to agree on the answer. Ask, Does everyone
agree? and if not, explain your reasoning. (I
know you like the national park, but its far. Going
to the state park means more time there and less time in the car.)
Encourage your youngster to collaborate with friends when they visit. Would
they like to build a city with toy buildings and cars? They might work together
to draw a blueprint. To organize a neighborhood kickball tournament, they could
divvy up teams and make a bracket.
Otsego Elementary School
Miss Lianna Mikesina, Counselor
2014 Resources for Educators, a division of CCH Incorporated
To provide busy parents with practical ideas
that promote school success, parent involvement,
and more effective parenting.
Resources for Educators,
a division of CCH Incorporated
128 N. Royal Avenue Front Royal, VA 22630
540-636-4280 rfecustomer@wolterskluwer.com
www.rfeonline.com
ISSN 1540-5621
O U R P U R P O S E
Home & School CONNECTION

October 2014 Page 2

At back-to-school
night, my sons
teacher talked about how she uses teach-
able moments so kids learn something
from unexpected events.
For example, during a recent thun-
derstorm, the class counted the seconds
between the lightning
and thunder. Then
they divided the
number of sec-
onds by 5
to figure out
how many
miles away
the storm was.
I decided to be on the lookout for
teachable moments, too. Last week, I
called home while I was on a business
trip. That led to a conversation about
time zones around the world and when
the sun would set where I was and at
home. And yesterday, my son spotted a
hot air balloon in the sky. We
wondered whether it would
drift in the same direction
as the windand it did.
We are both learning
new things, and now
we look for teachable
moments when were
out together!
Find teachable moments
Empathy: The
bullying antidote
What causes children to bully others?
Theres no one answer, but empathythe
ability to understand and share another per-
sons feelingscan help prevent bullying.
Guide your child to develop empathy with
these suggestions.
Use your imagination. Kids love to pre-
tend. Encourage your youngster to imagine he
is a new student in school, for instance. Ask him to
say what that person may
be feeling (I dont know
anyone, so Im a little ner-
vous) and how hed like
to be treated (I hope
someone will talk to me).
Connect with others.
Its easier to feel empathetic
toward someone youre
familiar with. Suggest that
your youngster get to know
his classmates. He could
invite a student he doesnt know well to play with him at
recess or to read a book together in the library. This can
make your child less likely to bully othersand more apt
to step in if someone else bullies his classmates.
Be a parent volunteer
Q: Ive always wanted to volunteer in my
daughters school, but I work during the day.
Is there a way I can still help out?
A: Absolutely. Any kind of help you provide
will make a difference. Contact the teacher
she may be able to send home projects for you
to work on in the evenings. For instance, she
might give you materials to make geography
games or ask you to create a list of kid-friendly
poetry websites.
Also, consider volunteering with an after-school activity like chess club or Odys-
sey of the Mind, or at an evening event, such as a science fair or school carnival. Call
the school office or visit the website to find out about activities and opportunities.
Finally, if youre able to take a few hours off, look at the school calendar, and plan
ahead. Maybe you could take a shift at a book fair or chaperone a field trip.
Making connections
There are no wrong answers in these
gamesas long as you can defend your
choices! Play together, and your child will
practice thinking deeply and strategically.
1. Creative categories. Choose a
category (foods, places), and take turns
naming something that fits. The catch?
Each answer has to relate to the one
before it. For instance, carrot is related
to cream cheese (carrot cake has cream
cheese frosting), and cream cheese is
related to bagel (bagels taste good with
cream cheese). Keep going until some-
one is stumped.
2. Degrees of separation. Name
two famous people who dont seem con-
nected (Benjamin Franklin, Dr. Seuss).
The next player has to link themin six
moves or less. Example: Franklin links to
George Washington (both were founding
fathers). Washington links to Abraham
Lincoln (both were presidents). Lincoln
links to Dr. Seuss (he and the Cat in the
Hat both wore tall hats).
Q
&
A
PA
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EN
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PA
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CTIV
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CO
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